Read More

Sky Bet – the only bookmaker to offer such a market – make Bristol overwhelming 1-7 favourites to finish bottom of the pile, with Worcester 11-2.

Even some of the most optimistic Bristol supporters have resigned themselves to the fact they will be swapping trips to Welford Road and the Recreation Ground for visits to Cornish Pirates and Ealing Trailfinders in 2017-18.

If they do go down, they will be looking for a quick return to the Premiership under Pat Lam – and could come face-to-face with these 15 old friends along the way.

Bristolians and Old Colstonians, George Watkins and Luke Eves could both face Bristol next season (Image: Joe Meredith/JMP)

Luke Eves (Hartpury College)

The 27-year-old centre, who scored 27 tries in 122 appearances for Bristol across two spells, has been a driving force in the Hartpury midfield since joining the club following a brief stint at Northampton Saints last season. From next season, Eves – who made more than 50 Premiership appearances for Bristol and Newcastle – will combine playing with a coaching role at the college, and is relishing the chance to play at Championship level again.

Iain Grieve (Ealing Trailfinders)

The 30-year-old back-rower played more than 120 times for Bristol – eight of his appearances coming in the Premiership – and stuck with the club when they failed to beat Exeter in the 2009-10 Championship final, assuming the captaincy shortly after. After leaving in 2014, he joined Plymouth Albion, but moved to Ealing in 2015.

George Watkins (Jersey Reds)

Still Bristol’s leading league try-scorer with 46, Bristolian winger Watkins came through the club’s academy, before leaving briefly for Cardiff Blues in 2014. He returned later that year, but his second spell was less fruitful and he departed for Jersey last summer, following a loan spell with Moseley.

Matt Williams (London Scottish)

The flying winger joined Bristol from Doncaster in the summer of 2011 and went on to spend two seasons with the club. The Londoner departed for Moseley in 2013 and then moved back to the capital with Scottish in 2014.

Tom Arscott spent three years with Bristol Rugby from 2007 to 2010 (Image: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Tom Arscott (Yorkshire Carnegie)

The 29-year-old winger/full-back joined Carnegie earlier this year after he was sacked by Sale Sharks for passing information to brother Luke – a Bristol player – the day before the teams met on New Year’s Day. Arscott previously spent three years with Bristol, joining the club from Plymouth Albion in 2007 and leaving for Worcester when Bristol failed to earn promotion to the Premiership in 2010.

Robbie Shaw (Hartpury College)

The United States international scrum-half, now 33, was a popular figure at Bristol, where he spent two seasons from 2009 to 2011, before joining Leeds. He briefly returned to Bristol on loan – but did not make an appearance – toward the end of the 2014-15 season, before joining Hartpury that summer.

Read More

Rhys Lawrence (Ealing Trailfinders)

The 28-year-old hooker became a popular figure at Bristol between 2011 and 2015, making 81 appearances and scoring 10 tries. The Welshman, who had joined the club from Scarlets, left Bristol for Ealing in the summer of 2015.

Rhys Oakley (Hartpury College)

The 36-year-old back-rower attended Marlwood School and came through Bristol’s academy, before making 17 Premiership appearances for the club. He left for Newport Gwent Dragons in the summer of 2003, having been one of Bristol’s standout performers during the 2002-03 relegation season. He earned two caps for Wales and went on to play for Leeds, Bourgoin, Northampton and Plymouth before joining Hartpury – where he also does some coaching – in 2015.

Chris Morgan (Cornish Pirates)

The 35-year-old back-rower captains the Pirates and has made more than 200 appearances for the Penzance-based side since first playing for them on loan from Bristol in 2005. After leaving Bristol for Newbury, he joined Pirates on a permanent basis in 2008.

James Stephenson (Hartpury College)

The forward, who switched from the back row to hooker during the 2013-14 season, was picked up by Bristol while studying for a degree in Medicine at Bristol University. After several loan spells, including one at Hartpury, he left Bristol for the Gloucestershire side on a permanent basis last summer.

Glen Townson (Ealing Trailfinders)

The popular lock, who is 30, left Bristol for Ealing in December, having made 112 appearances for the club. The former Sale Sharks academy forward arrived at Bristol from Newcastle in December 2011 and established himself as a regular in the side before being frustrated by injuries. One of the cleverest players in the game, the Lancastrian studied a Master’s in Chemistry at the University of Manchester – and left with a first-class honours degree.

Glen Townson made more than 100 appearances for Bristol Rugby (Image: Joe Meredith/JMP)

Tom Channon (Cornish Pirates)

The scrum-half-turned-prop-turned-hooker, who made 10 appearances for Bristol, joined Pirates in the summer of 2013 and has established himself with the Cornwall side.

Wayne Thompson (Hartpury College)

The 32-year-old prop, who spent 11 years with Bristol, attended Marlwood School and studied at Bristol University. He moved to Hartpury, initially combining his playing duties with lecturing in A-level Geography, and now works as the college’s junior academy manager alongside his playing role.

Will Davis (Ealing Trailfinders)

The Bristolian prop came through the ranks at Cleve before joining Bristol. He left the club, having been unable to establish himself as a regular, to join Ealing in the summer of 2014.

Tim Brockett (Hartpury College)

The Bristolian prop was in Bristol’s academy, and made a handful of competitive appearances for the first team, before joining Hartpury – where he teaches – after spells with Dings Crusaders and Ealing.